It is hard to believe that this issue marks the 100th issue of Blood Advances. Who would have thought when we were planning this new journal that we would get here seemingly so fast? It has been an amazing journey focused at the beginning on the multitude of ideas and details that go into launching a new publication. There are so many people who have done so much, including the amazing team of associate editors who have done such a great job in shepherding the many manuscripts that we receive through rigorous peer review in the least amount of time possible. The team at the American Society of Hematology, led by Nina Hoffman and Glenn Landis, has been spectacular at working through the details of our processes and developing new concepts while collecting data and analyzing what has worked and what needs to be changed. Through these 100 issues, we have published many important original manuscripts, Point-Counterpoints, reviews, commentaries, and guidelines that bring forward novel discoveries and, hopefully, improvements in our field.
We have felt so much pain and sorrow and learned so much from the tragedy of COVID-19. However, its clearest message is how interconnected we all are. We live on a global scale where what happens thousands of miles from us has profound, lasting, and even life-altering consequences. Never has it been more important for us to learn from and communicate with each other. We are proud at Blood Advances to be one such voice bringing new knowledge and potential clinical treatments forward quickly, online, and available to all. Hematology is a global pursuit impacting people across the globe, even in its most hidden places. As a community of hematologists, we are connected in the knowledge we seek and the patients we treat. At Blood Advances, we believe one of our most important tasks is to reach out to all to have one more way to bring our community together. In these 100 issues, we believe we have established our voice, and we look forward to growing our reach and our impact.
These last few years have been a labor of love for me personally. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the many people I have met and worked with over the journey. Like anything worth pursuing, we can always get better and think bigger. I will very much enjoy watching our journal grow in stature and impact under the leadership of my friend and colleague Cath Bollard, who will bring new energy and ideas to bear. Thank you to all who have contributed so much, our authors, reviewers, and readers, for your insights and talents; they have been critical to our successes.